The way she called “sister” was so natural and affectionate that Zhao Yingyue was momentarily taken aback, then responded with a smile.
She nodded.
“Mm, thank you for helping me out… Let’s eat together.”
Worried there wouldn’t be enough for the two of them, Zhao Yingyue called over a waiter and ordered seven or eight different Arslan specialty snacks—fried mushroom balls, honey-glazed wings, cheese-baked mashed potatoes…
The girl’s eyes lit up, as if she’d found a kindred spirit.
“The food here is really amazing! Before this… I didn’t often eat royal city cuisine, it’s true that Arslan nobles know how to enjoy life!”
As she spoke, she used a fork to pick up a golden fried mushroom ball and offered it to Zhao Yingyue.
“Try this? Crispy on the outside, tender inside, and the creamy filling bursts with flavor!”
Looking at the girl’s sincere and unguarded smile, Zhao Yingyue felt her mood lighten.
“Thank you, you eat first.”
“Oh, okay.”
The girl didn’t mind, popping the mushroom ball into her mouth and squinting her eyes in satisfaction.
With a muffled voice, she introduced herself.
“By the way, my name is [Tutu Can I Take a Bite Because I’m Cute], I’m a Summoner, just call me Tutu. What’s your name, sister?”
Such a peculiar name made Zhao Yingyue stifle a laugh.
She replied.
“My name is Zhao Yingyue.”
“Zhao Yingyue… What a lovely name, it suits your aura perfectly, sister.”
[Tutu] exclaimed in admiration.
“It sounds like a Night Dragon Kingdom name. Are you from Night Dragon Kingdom, sister?”
“Yes. I came to Arslan this time mainly to help a friend.”
Zhao Yingyue smiled.
[Tutu] sliced off a piece of Grilled Dragon Spine and put it in her mouth.
The spicy, scorching flavor made her gasp a few times, then she gave a thumbs up.
“As expected of the most renowned dish at Golden Iris Hotel—spicy and rich, truly lives up to its reputation.”
Zhao Yingyue’s eyes brightened, her tone lifting.
“Right? It’s my favorite dish at Golden Iris. My friend always says it’s too spicy to eat, but I didn’t expect to find someone with the same taste today.”
“Of course!”
[Tutu] began counting on her fingers with pride.
“Though it’s called Grilled Dragon Spine, it’s actually farmed sub-dragons—there’s no way you’d get real dragon meat—Golden Iris’s chefs cleverly use Lava Sauce’s spiciness to neutralize the gaminess of sub-dragon meat, keeping its firm texture and deep flavor. Only those who can handle spice can savor this taste.”
It was as if Zhao Yingyue had met a soulmate.
The two exchanged dishes and gradually opened up.
As their conversation went on, Zhao Yingyue learned that [Tutu] wasn’t passionate about battles on the Ting Yue Continent, and chose the Summoner class because she wasn’t skilled in combat, but often got pulled into teams for her unique Ability Enhancement Skills.
Over time, she became acquainted with the top Ranking Guilds, and even knew some of their private secrets.
But her own interest in the game was simply to travel and enjoy all the delicious food.
The girl’s pure happiness was contagious.
Though this player girl seemed a bit mysterious, Zhao Yingyue felt it was surprisingly easy and comfortable to be with someone like her.
Maybe not all players were so annoying…
Zhao Yingyue thought.
After their fill of food and drink, a Red Dragon Guard arrived with a Document, quickly spotting Zhao Yingyue resting.
“General Zhao, the Divine Chosen has received a Military Report. There’s an urgent situation at the Frontline, and they request you come to Pascal Military Academy for a detailed discussion.”
Zhao Yingyue stood up, knowing her short break was over.
“Tutu, it was great meeting you today. I have urgent matters to attend to now. If we get the chance… let’s meet again next time.”
“Mm mm! Go ahead, sister…”
After their enjoyable chat, [Tutu] relaxed as well, abandoning her knife and fork to grab the last honey-glazed wing with her hand, mumbling,
“I’ll… finish off the rest of the food so it doesn’t go to waste…”
Zhao Yingyue couldn’t help but smile.
Back in the day, she and Farushil had been just as carefree.
Then, Zhao Yingyue turned to the waiting Red Dragon Guard.
“Let’s go, to Pascal Military Academy.”
—
“What are you so happy about, Tutu? Spending so much gold in a game restaurant on a bunch of electrical signals, and you actually enjoyed yourself?”
“You don’t understand. Today, I met a beautiful big sister at the restaurant and we ate together… a beautiful NPC from Night Dragon Kingdom, named Zhao Yingyue.”
“Huh? Who?? You ran into Zhao Yingyue???”
“Um… is she famous?”
Jiang You looked at the delighted [Tutu], a web of black lines appearing on his forehead.
“You… go check the forums! After Farushil, she’s the second most popular character in the game, and an important NPC in the main storyline. Where did you meet her? While I was repairing a dagger… I missed out on a fortune!”
—
Pascal Military Academy.
This grand building stood on the western side of Arslan’s royal city, a cradle for countless magical girls and kingdom commanders.
Its walls were built from gray-white stone, bearing the marks of time, with ivy twining around the windows, adding a quiet sense of history to the solemn academy.
For Zhao Yingyue, every stone tile here was filled with memories of her and Farushil’s youthful days as students.
However, as she pushed open the heavy oak door of the military seminar room, the air inside was not youthful, but filled with a tense atmosphere, heavy as a brewing storm.
The room was dim, thick velvet curtains blocking the afternoon sun, leaving only a Magic Light Orb floating above the center of the long table, casting a steady, gentle white glow.
The light spilled down, illuminating a huge military Map spread out on the table, and three figures seated around it.
Farushil and Nilo, her former senior, sat at the head.
Once the heartthrob of the military academy, admired by countless girls, Nilo was now its youngest Military Theory Instructor.
He wore a sharp officer’s uniform, golden short hair perfectly arranged, but his handsome face was tinged with fatigue.
Leaning forward, his long fingers pointed at a spot on the Map, blue eyes reflecting the complex rivers and mountains, brow furrowed in deep thought.
Farushil and [Sage of Jingwei] stood at his sides, both focused on the Map, lost in thought.
The opening door broke the silence.
All three looked toward it.
Seeing Zhao Yingyue, a hint of warmth flickered in Farushil’s otherwise cool gaze.
She stood and stepped forward.
“Yingyue, you’re here.”
Her voice was as chilly as ever, but faster than usual, betraying a touch of urgency.
“Perfect timing. Eileen just sent over the latest Map data from player explorations these past few days. Let’s look at it together.”
Farushil took Zhao Yingyue’s wrist, leading her to the table.
Zhao Yingyue’s eyes were immediately drawn to the enormous Map.
It was a detailed Western Region Map of Ting Yue Continent.
The shapes of mountains and winding rivers were vividly depicted.
The once-uncertain marshes at the edge of the Demon Domain Forbidden Marsh were now densely marked with precise lines and notes.
This Death Zone, where countless kingdom Scouts had perished, was now partly unveiled by the tireless exploration of players.
Their efficiency surpassed that of any elite reconnaissance unit in the kingdom.
Yet, the illuminated area was only a fragile coastline.
All explorations stopped at the Demon Domain Forbidden Marsh’s boundary, with deeper regions shrouded in darkness.
That area was covered in deep black ink, like a yawning abyss, with no markings—only pure unknown.
It was as if an invisible wall blocked all progress.
“As you can see,”
Nilo finally spoke, his voice hoarse with exhaustion.
He looked up at Zhao Yingyue, blue eyes full of confusion and frustration.
“The Outsiders are incredibly efficient. In just a few days, they’ve given us more detailed intelligence than the past ten years. But… it stops here.”
He traced a finger along the dividing line between light and dark on the Map.
“All exploration ends here. Whether it’s the withered southern forests or the northern stinking swamps, they can’t go any further. Scouts we sent reported seeing some Outsiders try to rush into the dark zone, only to be repelled as if hitting an invisible wall.”
“We can’t understand what kind of magic this is. Its scale is enormous, yet so precise in its effect.”
Nilo’s words carried the helplessness of a traditional military theorist facing supernatural laws.
He could calculate troops, supplies, and terrain, but not this unprecedented rule.
Farushil picked up the thread, her tone heavy.
“This means we still know nothing about the Demon King’s core territory, or the movements of his high-ranking monsters and even apostles.”
Zhao Yingyue’s heart sank.
She stared into the bottomless darkness, recalling the Green Dragon King Master’s worries.
The predicament before her was even harsher than she’d imagined.
At that moment, the silent [Sage of Jingwei] adjusted his glasses and spoke in a calm tone.
“This is the System’s Level Restriction.”
“System?”
Nilo frowned.
He’d heard this term from players many times but never understood its true meaning.
“What is it?”
“You can think of it as… a fundamental rule that maintains the operation of this world.”
[Sage of Jingwei]’s explanation was cool and precise, carefully avoiding the word “game” and choosing terms the natives could accept.
He raised a finger, drawing a circle in the air above the dark area.
“The inner Demon Domain Forbidden Marsh is designated as a High-level Area by the System.”
“For the vast majority of players, our level is still too low. When you haven’t reached the System’s entry threshold, it creates an invisible Barrier that prevents low-level players from entering.”
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